Why I Love Opera: Dan Kleiboemer

Dan Kleiboemer, of Whitehouse, is director of The Maritime Academy of Toledo Foundation, a bridge officer in the merchant marine, and a commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve.

From aboard the Maersk Pittsburgh, somewhere in the Mediterranean Sea, he writes:

Cmdr. Dan Kleiboemer (right) and wife Rebecca
Conklin Kleiboemer head to the 2014 Toledo
Opera Gala: Ladies in Red on Valentine's Day.

"Why I like the Toledo Opera:

"I'm a fan of 'American Idol.' What's great about it is you hear some really good voices and all the songs are ones I know. When it's time for judging, the contestants pull out all the stops to sing a song we'll all know (and vote for) as best as they can.

"It's the same way at the opera. Believe it or not, most folks probably know at least a few songs in every opera that has ever been shown in Toledo. For example, that theme from the British Airways TV commercial is the Flower Duet from 'Lakme' (which the opera performed in February), and the opera 'Tosca' (performed in 2007 by the Toledo Opera) was featured in the James Bond movie 'Quantum of Solace.' So, going to the opera is like seeing a greatest hits album live. Which is why I also like 'American Idol.' 

"Now, the great thing about the Toledo Opera is accessibility; you don't have to be an opera fan to like the opera here. In New York, at ticket to the Metropolitan Opera will cost an average of $204, but that doesn't matter because you have to buy a season subscription which really costs an average of $946 (!) otherwise you won't get a seat to any show. At the Toledo Opera, you can pick up a ticket on the day of the performance for as little as 10 bucks (!). Also, unlike other places, the Toledo Opera really understands its audience (which is me). Many opera companies assume a real opera-goer already knows all about the show and can understand singing in Italian (which I don't). At the Toledo Opera, I like that someone begins the night by explaining what the show is about and what I should look out for – this makes it easy to follow along. 

"To sum up, I like the Toledo Opera because: I dig 'American Idol'; if it's cool enough for James Bond, then it's cool enough for me; it's crazy affordable; and I'll know what’s happening."

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